Toronto FC, Seattle Sounders battle for $275,000 team bonus as well as MLS Cup

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By:Neil DavidsonThe Canadian Press Published on

TORONTO — In addition to the MLS Cup, Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders will be battling for a US$275,000 team bonus when they meet Dec. 10 for North American soccer supremacy.

The losing team shares $80,000 from the league, according to the Major League Soccer collective bargaining agreement.

Individual players may benefit more from getting to or winning the championship game if they have personal bonuses written into their contracts.

Major League Soccer has modest team bonuses written into its CBA, ranging from $20,000 for making the playoffs to $55,000 for finishing with the best regular-season record. It's one or the other, though, not both when it comes to those two achievements.

Teams also got $7,500 for each regular season win. That means Toronto has already received $175,000 in team bonuses from the league, including the making-the-playoffs perk and $50,000 for winning the Amway Canadian Championship.

The money goes into one pot, with players deciding how they want to dish it out. The regular season bonuses are given out monthly.

The MLS bonuses are nowhere near the Cadillac payouts of Major League Baseball. In 2015, the MLB players' pool was a record $69,882,149.26.

A full post-season player share for a member of the winning Kansas City Royals was $370,069.03. For one of the losing Mets, it was $300,757.78.

FoxBusiness.com said the Cleveland Cavaliers shared $2,656,422 for winning the NBA title while Golden State got $1,760,210.

The Super Bowl bonuses may not be as big as you thought, perhaps in part to the size of the roster. Each Denver Bronco reportedly got $102,000 for winning the NFL championship in 2016 while the Carolina Panthers each got $51,000.

The MLS bonus money may be pocket change to star striker Sebastian Giovinco, who makes $7.12 million this season. But for a Toronto FC player making $51,500 this season any bonus is likely welcome.